What devalues human life? Our times are undoubtedly
characterized by a lack of respect for the dignity of the human person.
Many who proclaim the culture of life fault the free market for
devaluing human life. It is thought that the market reduces people to
mere economic actors, valued only for their earning potential or their
productive capacity. However, this misunderstanding of the market
economy hinders our allies against the forces that degrade the human
person. Let us reflect on the interaction, tension, and ultimate
reconciliation of the culture of the market and the culture of life more
deeply.
I want to be clear about definitions.
The culture of life is the recognition that this life is a temporary
stage of our eternal existence and that life itself is a gift entrusted
to us by our Maker that should be preserved with the utmost
responsibility and care. Life carries a sacred value from its inception
to its end, and every human being has the right to have his life
respected to the fullest extent possible. The market is not a mere
abstraction of economic production and distribution, but, rather, people
themselves—people who save and invest, keep contracts and watch
markets, take risks and make dreams. In their economic lives as
producers and consumers, they are cooperating in a vast network of
exchange in which people half a world away buy their products and make
products for them.
The market strengthens the
culture of life and its moral order in three important ways. First, the
market promotes peace among people. From the simplest to the most
complex market exchanges, they all have one thing in common: people
trading voluntarily with each other to their mutual self-satisfaction.
Second, the market offers people the best opportunities to employ their
creative gifts and become full participants in society, thus obeying
God's command to work and create. In contrast, legal barriers and
perverse incentives erected by government prevent people from entering
the workforce and keep many from perfecting their abilities and becoming
a vital part of society's division of labor. Third, the free market
promotes the material betterment of humanity. For example, it has
brought modern medicine, electricity, running water, and, now,
information access to an ever-broadening segment of the world
population.
It is unfortunate and highly
dangerous that many of the market's most eloquent advocates often
overlook the moral foundations of freedom. To those who might be tempted
to think that society can revolve around the bank statement, the
culture of life delivers a message: Base motives can also exist within a
market economy. There are values higher than profit and market success,
among which is the preeminent value of life itself. What we propose,
then, is a free economy that puts the human person at the center of
economic actions because the human person is the source of all economic
initiative. The market, imbued with freedom and virtue, is a necessary
ally for a social order that respects human dignity.
Source: Acton Institute
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